By NBA standards, the Detroit Pistons are in the midst of a four-game home stand.

The Pistons hosted the Jazz in a 90-87 loss on Saturday night and have meetings with Boston and Orlando at the Palace on Jan. 20 and 22.

In the middle of that is a "home" game against the New York Knicks on Thursday at 3 p.m.

Instead of this game being at The Palace, it will be held at The O2 Arena in London.

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The Pistons and Knicks will be the featured teams of NBA London Live 2013. This will be the seventh time London has hosted either a regular-season or preseason NBA contest since 2007, but the game will be counted as one of Detroit's 41 home games.

"The Pistons are excited to participate in the NBA London Live 2013," Dennis Mannion, president and CEO of Palace Sports and Entertainment and the Detroit Pistons, said in a press release when the game was announced in October. "Playing a regular-season game in London against the New York Knicks will provide a great experience for our players and we look forward to showcasing our brand of hard, smart and together Detroit Basketball to fans on a global scale."

The Knicks and Pistons will take part in the only NBA regular-season game to be featured in London this season.

"London was the epicenter of global sports this summer, and the Olympics were a tremendous showcase for basketball," said NBA commissioner David Stern in a press release. "Playing our third regular-season game in the city in three years and having historic franchises like the Knicks and Pistons serve as our ambassadors provide extraordinary opportunities to further the game's growth and development in the UK and throughout Europe."

The trip will be good exposure internationally for the Pistons, but it will also provide more adversity with the lengthy travel.

"It's a combination," Pistons forward Charlie Villanueva said of heading to London being an exciting opportunity but also an extra challenge with the travel. "It certainly can be tough with the travel and the time difference, but I think it is going to be a good experience for the guys that haven't been there. I have been there before and have had a great time there."

Many of the Pistons' players are looking forward to the unique experience.

"I am looking forward to it, it should be a good trip," Austin Daye said. "Me and my teammates are looking forward to it and we should take advantage of it and be able to look at this game as an important game for us, because it is."

The Pistons are 14-24 heading into this game, having won seven of their last 10 despite Saturday's loss to the Jazz. New York is 24-13 following a win over the New Orleans Hornets on Sunday. The Knicks currently have the second-best record in the Eastern Conference.

"It would have been nice to go to London on a winning streak," Daye said. "We just have to focus on New York. It is going to be a big game for us. We have to be ready for the offensive fire power they have."

Brandon Knight had 21 points in that loss while Villanueva had 17 points on a season-high 15 field goal attempts.

"There is a lot of excitement about getting there and getting to enjoy something a little different," Villanueva said. "But, once you are there for a few days, you get excited at the idea of coming back home."

The Pistons have four days of rest between Saturday's game and Thursday's game in London, but the turnaround back to the United States will be shorter, as Detroit will host Boston on Sunday.